(162) Evaluating the Impact of No Standardized Tests on Early Assurance Student Success

Objective : Since the pandemic, many colleges/universities have continued as test-optional for undergraduate admissions. Early assurance students are admitted with no requirement for reported standardized test score. The objective of this study was to determine if lack of standardized test score results in admission of early assurance students who struggle in prepharmacy coursework or the first year of the professional degree program.

Methods: Two cohorts, those with baseline SAT or ACT score and those with no standardized test score, were evaluated. Demographic characteristics were evaluated and performance variables, including pre-pharmacy grade point average (GPA), pre-pharmacy science GPA, and first professional year deficiencies were assessed for differences between cohorts. Continuous and categorical variables were analyzed using t-tests and Chi-square tests, respectively, with Fisher's exact test for contingency tables with cells < 5.

Results: More early assurance students reported test scores (n=268) than did not (n=80). No significant differences in gender, race, in- versus out-of-state status, or high school GPA existed between groups. Of 58 early assurance students admitted to the university’s honors college, significantly more reported test scores (53 vs. 5; p=0.007). Despite power of 98% to 99% for comparisons, no significant differences in pre-pharmacy performance variables were found between students reporting scores and those not, except students who reported scores entered pharmacy school with a significantly higher pre-science GPA (3.39 vs. 2.84; p=0.03). The difference in mean number of first year deficiencies was not significantly different between cohorts (0.02 vs. 0.5; p=0.412).

Conclusions: As programs seek to predict success in early assurance applicants, lack of standardized test scores may result in admission of students who will not perform as well in prerequisite science courses, but other performance variables appear unaffected.